Previous: F-32: Dead Space
F-33. Automatic weapons achieve grazing fire when the center of the cone of fire does not rise more than one meter above the ground. Grazing fire is employed in the FPL in the defense and is only possible when the terrain is level or sloping uniformly. Dead space encountered along the FPL must be covered by indirect fire, such as from an M203/M320. When firing over level or uniformly sloping terrain, the machine gun M240-series and M249 can attain a maximum of 600 meters of grazing fire. The M2/M2A1 can attain a maximum of 700 meters. Paragraphs F-77 and F-78 discuss the FPL.
Next: F-34: Plunging Fires
Go Back To: U.S. Army FM 3-21.8: The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad